


Under Control: The Four People Who Noticed Harvey Noticing Mike and the One Person Who Totally Didn't

by cimera



Category: Suits (TV)
Genre: 5 Things, First Kiss, M/M, POV Multiple, POV Outsider
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-22
Updated: 2011-12-22
Packaged: 2017-10-27 20:58:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/299975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cimera/pseuds/cimera
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harvey isn't being particularly subtle about what he wants, but Mike is a bit more clueless than almost everyone else around them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Under Control: The Four People Who Noticed Harvey Noticing Mike and the One Person Who Totally Didn't

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Desdemon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Desdemon/gifts).



> Set in a mystical, nebulous time when Mike and Jenny are broken up, Trevor is nowhere to be seen, and Mike and Rachel are just friends.  
> Also, I`ve put direct thoughts in italics...I hope it makes sense.

1\. Happy Face  
Sarah Chiu sat as impassively as she could across the table from the men who were trying to take over her husband's company. Beside her, Jonathan shifted slightly in his chair and she reached over to hold her husband's hand. They had agreed at the start of this whole mess to trust Harvey Specter – as their lawyer, the force of his personality and his confidence was so overwhelming that Sarah thought they really had no other choice. Once you were a client of Harvey's it seemed like he would do anything to make sure you won.

This morning, when they had arrived for the meeting, Sarah had noticed that Harvey's confidence seemed slightly different from his usual swagger and she had taken that to mean that he had an ace in the hole, something that would ensure a win. Then he had announced that his associate, Mike Ross, would be leading the meeting.

At first, Jonathan had not been on board, “We pay a hell of a lot of money for your expertise, Harvey.”

But Harvey had countered that it was Mike's hard work that lead to the evidence that was going to ensure the win. “I have complete confidence in Mike,” he told them.

Despite her own nervousness, Sarah had thought it cute how Mike blushed while at the same time trying to imitate Harvey's casual confidence.

Now, seeing the looks on the faces of the Walbern executives, she knew they were right to have trusted Harvey's faith in Mike.

“Gentlemen, if you don't rescind your threats to the board members by the end of the day, well,” Mike slid a single sheet of paper across the table, calmly, as though he wasn't about to deliver the final blow to these men, “we have the proof we need to take this matter to the SEC.”

And then it was over. The Walbern lawyers ushered their scowling clients out of the building and Jonathan couldn't stop smiling and alternately hugging her and shaking hands with first Harvey and then Mike.

When they had calmed down a bit, Sarah sat on the couch in Harvey's office with a cup of coffee while Jonathan went over the paperwork. After six weeks of the looming threat of a takeover it was a relief to be able to just sit and relax.

 _Maybe we should think about taking a vacation_ , she thought, glancing over to the window where Harvey was talking to his associate, congratulating him, most likely.

Mike had his head down, as though he was embarrassed by praise, but it was Harvey's expression that was interesting. He looked proud, definitely, but he also seemed more open, happier, as he looked down at Mike. It was a surprisingly different sort of happy look than the one she'd seen on his face when they won, but still, Sarah might not have thought any more about it, she might have forgotten about it completely, but then Mike looked up – and it was gone in an instant. Between one blink and the next, Harvey was back to the smug, slightly superior expression that she'd come to expect from him. That was how she knew it must mean something – or he wouldn't try to keep it hidden.

Now that she suspected that Harvey's feelings for his associate might go beyond the professional, Sarah wondered what, if anything, she should do about.

Just then, Donna popped her head through the office's glass door to see if they needed anymore coffee.

 _Of course_ , she thought, _problem solved – I'll talk to Donna._

 

2\. The Look

The annual Pearson Hardman company picnic was not the kind of event Jenny had expected she would be attending after she and Mike broke up. But, as Mike kept reminding her, they were still friends, and Mike and her new guy, Jeff, actually got along pretty well.

So, here they were, Jenny and Jeff, at the ridiculously huge buffet table full of classic picnic foods. They were each filling a plate quickly because Jenny absolutely did not want to miss Mike competing in the three-legged race.

Jenny made sure they got a good spot where they could see both the teams getting ready and most of the course. It was a 'there-and-back' type race so they'd be able to see the start and the finish.

“Mike!” Jenny called to him and when he looked over she waved. Mike waved back and so did Rachel, his race partner. Jenny noticed that Harvey was also standing with them, but he didn't wave.

“I wonder what Harvey's doing over there? I don't think he's racing.”

“Maybe he's their coach?” Jeff offered. “He'll give them pointers on their form and help them improve so they can represent America at the Picnic Games Olympics”

“You're joking,” Jenny replied, “but I bet that would actually be a good time.”

There was a bustle of activity near the starting line and a race official started handing out the elastic straps for tying the racer's legs to each other. Mike and Rachel got theirs and went right up to the starting line. Harvey was still with them and Jenny could see that he was talking to them and seemed to be gesturing to their legs and to the race course.

 _Maybe he really is their coach_ , Jenny thought. _He certainly wouldn't want his associate to lose at anything!_

It was getting close to start time. Mike was bent over tying his left leg to Rachel's right leg. Harvey was standing a bit behind them and to Mike's right...and he was totally checking Mike out!

 _Oh my god! That can't possibly be what I'm seeing!_

Mike straightened up and he and Rachel took a few practise steps and Jenny was sure she had just been imagining things. Something seemed to be wrong with the elastic and Mike bent over to adjust it...and Harvey did it again! This time there was no mistaking it.

“Oh my god!”

“What is it?” Jeff looked up from his apple pie.

“Nothing, I mean, I just...need to find Donna.”

“But, the race is about to start.”

“I'll be quick, I think she's just over supervising the dunk tank. You can tell me what happens.”

Jenny left her place on her seat and took off before Jeff could ask anything else. Donna would know what was going on, Donna would know what to do.

 

3\. High School

Over the years, Rachel had come across quite a few unusual things while working at Pearson Hardman. Of course, she was bound under a pretty formidable confidentiality agreement so she could never tell anyone about the odd research requests she got, or about some of the things she saw lawyers doing. Sometimes people under a lot of stress behaved in very strange ways.

But, in her experience, Harvey Specter was always extremely professional. Which is why it was especially unnerving to realise that the files she was currently looking at had come to her straight from Harvey. There was a copy of an old contract that needed to be researched along with a few pages of relevant precedents and possible sources of information. Then there was a single page of handwritten notes from Harvey with some updates about what he wanted.

That page had, in the top right hand corner, a little heart.

Out of all the times Rachel had seen doodles left by lawyers and associates, she was pretty sure she had never seen a heart.

Then, further down the margin there was more doodling, including another heart.

Rachel sighed, knowing she'd have to do something. She put all the documents back in their folder and took it down the hall to Harvey's office. She stopped at Donna's desk and waiting until the other woman was off the phone. It wasn't late enough to expect any privacy so she quietly handed over the file. She didn't say anything, just gave Donna a look, a raised eyebrow and nodded toward the folder.

Donna, of course, caught on quickly. She opened the file, looked down at the page of notes where Harvey had doodled the little hearts along with Mike's name and gave her own sigh.

“I'll take care of it,” she said.

 

4\. The Boss

It was getting late and Donna was ready to go home, but today was the day she had decided it was time to have a serious conversation with Harvey about the Mike situation. He and Mike were still in his office working on the Klein merger and this was definitely something that Mike should not be present for.

She turned her chair to look into the office and couldn't help rolling her eyes.

 _Well, I guess they're done working._

Mike was reaching for one of the records from the top shelf and Harvey had come up very close behind him to reach over his head and pull down a record. Donna watched for a moment as Harvey went to the turntable and turned the music on.

Donna went straight into the office and asked Mike to leave. He looked surprised and glanced over at Harvey before heading off to his own cubicle.

“Something the matter, Donna?” Harvey asked when they were alone.

“Don't even try that innocent act with me! You're just lucky Mike is so shy, and so nice, considering how obvious you've been.”

“I have no idea what you're talking about.”

“Oh really? You don't know anything about the looks, the staring, none of it?”

Now Harvey was getting a bit upset. He had that petulant curl to his mouth like he thought the world was unfair and out to get him.

“If you have something to say, Donna, just say it.”

“Fine, I will. Harvey, you're a great lawyer, but in matters of the heart your poker face is for shit. Anyone with half a brain that sees you two together knows that you have feelings for him, and once they realise that, they invariably come to me to find out what the situation is and whether or not the two of you are actually dating.”

“Do they ever come to you to discuss the ethics of dating someone who works for you?”

“Oh, is that what's holding you back from being with who you want? Your moral code?”

Harvey sighed, “No, what's holding me back is that he obviously doesn't feel the same way. As you've pointed out, so nicely, I haven't been all that subtle, but Mike just lets it slide.”

“You think he's too nice to refuse you outright, but that he thinks a bit of flirting is harmless?”

“That's my current theory.”

'Well, whether or not you're right, I'm here to tell you that you need to talk to him.”

“Donna, no, I've got this under control.”

“Oh really? Well, then, from now on, when people come to ask me about the status of your relationship, I'll just send them in to talk to you.”

“Fine, but if it all goes wrong, I'm saying it was your idea.”

“I can live with that.”

 

5\. Totally Oblivious

“I think that game may have been fixed,” Mike groaned as he sat down on the bench in the changing room.

Harvey sauntered in behind him, feeling quite smug as he opened his locker. “If by 'fixed' you mean that I'm a much better player and you shouldn't have made that wager with me in the first place, then yes, I guess you could say the game was fixed.”

He pulled his gym bag out and put it on the bench, then turned back to his locker to make sure his suit had survived being stuck inside a locker. By the time he turned back to the room, Mike's clothes were in a jumbled pile on the bench and his associate was nowhere to be seen. Harvey heard the showers running and grabbed his own towel. He was just heading over the showers when the water shut off and Mike came walking out of one of the stalls...wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist.

Harvey tried, he really did, but there was no way he could help staring, probably with a stupid, infatuated look on his face. Even the realisation that this time Mike would have to say something couldn't stop him.

“Geez, Harvey, are you okay? You look kind of stunned.”

Mike's voice cut through the hazy thoughts 'wet skin' and 'nipples' and Harvey realised that Mike sounded genuinely confused and worried. Working on a sudden hunch, he quickly made something up.

“I stubbed my toe.”

“Oh, are you alright?” Mike asked as he wandered back to his own locker. Harvey turned to watch him, not willing to miss out on the golden opportunity, but also really interested in Mike's reactions.

“Of course I'm alright! I didn't actually stub my toe, but you seem to have no idea why I might be staring at you like I was!”

“What?”

“Mike, you're a smart guy, but I have been dropping hints like stock tips at a Bar Association Dinner and this is not the first time you've caught me staring at you.”

“You were staring at me?” Mike blushed furiously, all the way down his chest. Harvey found this adorable, but forced himself back into the conversation.

“Yes, Mike, I've been staring at you, I've been thinking about you and, though I will never admit this again, I've been doodling your name on briefs. How have you missed this?” As he spoke Harvey began to slowly walk toward Mike, until Mike was up against the end of the lockers and Harvey was just a few feet away.

Mike was still blushing, but now he seemed to be having trouble looking at Harvey. “Well, I've been busy. You keep me really busy!”

“I do, don't I? And, just to be clear, this is not one of the things I'm trying to 'keep you busy with'. This is just us.” Harvey took another step closer, then another. If Mike hadn't been consciously brushing off his advances before this, Harvey was going to make sure he knew what he was being offered right now.

“Th..this?” Mike sounded a bit breathless and Harvey took this as a good sign as he leaned in.

The kiss was soft, kind of gentle, and very hot. Harvey felt heat running through his body, starting at the point where their lips touched and he put his hands on Mike's waist to pull him closer.

When they parted, Mike was breathing hard and smiling up at him cheekily, “So, what you're trying to say is that you're interested in me?”

“Mike, if you haven't figured out yet what I'm trying to tell you, then I think you need to come back to my place where I can articulate it more fully...maybe all weekend.”

Harvey smiled when Mike laughed, and leaned down for another kiss.

“Harvey, I'm a bit slow, it might take several weekends. But, you're right, we should get out of here before someone walks in and notices us.”

“Yeah,” Harvey admitted sheepishly, “wouldn't that be embarrassing.”


End file.
